Effectiveness of defenses: A significant predictor of cortisol excretion under stress

Vickers, Ross R.

doi:10.1016/0022-3999(88)90085-2

Cited by 28 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…High scores are assigned to individuals who demonstrate affective disruption, disruption of important ego functions, and low ability to mobilize additional defences. As recently reviewed by Wickers [140], effective defences have consistently been associated with a lower cortisol excretion under stress, and this association appears to be stronger during periods of acute stress. Indeed, a significant correlation between effectiveness of defences and urinary cortisol excretion has been reported in each of the five published studies that have examined this issue [62, 63, 141, 142, 143, 144].…”

Section: Factors Modulating Psychoendocrine Reactivitymentioning

confidence: 98%

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Biondi

Picardi

1999

Psychother Psychosom

312

175

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This paper reviews experimental contributions published in the last two decades and exploring the effect of emotional stress on neuroendocrine function in healthy humans. Laboratory studies allow standardization of the stressor and better control for known confounding factors. Commonly used stressors are mental arithmetics, speech tasks, the Stroop test, videogame playing, films or videotapes and interviews. Little is known about the generalizability of laboratory results, with some studies suggesting great caution in extrapolating data to real-life stress conditions. Another strategy is studying the psychoendocrine reaction to real-life stressors, such as bereavement or anticipated loss, academic examinations, everyday work and parachute jumping. The effects of different stressors on neuroendocrine axes are reviewed, as well as the influence of gender, age, personality, coping style, social support, biological and nonbiological interventions. The subjective perception of the situation is probably a main determinant of the psychoendocrine response pattern. In fact, marked variability in individual responses to a variety of stressors has frequently been observed. Evidently, the ‘objective’ characteristics of a given event are not the only determinants of reaction to the event itself. According to a constructivistic perspective, every given stressor has a strictly personal and idiosyncratic meaning and loses its ‘objective’ characteristics. Of course, biological factors may also play a part. In any case, it is mandatory to overcome a rigid dichotomy between psychological and biological processes. Dualistic conceptions which imply a determination of the physical by the psychological or vice versa should give place to a systemic conception, which implies mutual, circular interactions.

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Section: Factors Modulating Psychoendocrine Reactivitymentioning

confidence: 98%

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Biondi

Picardi

1999

Psychother Psychosom

312

175

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Perhaps the most consistent finding is between urinary cortisol and the effectiveness of defenses. Vickers (1988) reviewed five field studies with stressors ranging from COPING AND HEALTH 107 military training to having a fatally ill child, each of which found that individuals with effective psychological defenses had lower levels of urinary cortisol.…”

Section: Field Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping and health: A comparison of the stress and trauma literatures.

Aldwin

Yancura

2004

Trauma and Health: Physical Health Consequences of Exposure to Extreme Stress.

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More than 20,000 articles on stress and coping processes have been published in the past 2 decades (Aldwin, 1999); about 1,000 articles of these specifically examined how individuals cope with trauma. Given the magnitude of this literature, we do not provide a full review, but we briefly outline the different theoretical and methodological approaches to coping (see Aldwin, 1999;Lazarus, 2000;Schwarzer & Schwarzer, 1996). We then examine the similarities and differences between coping with general problems and coping with trauma. Finally, we review the relationship between coping and health outcomes, and focus on whether coping strategies can affect both the psychological and physical outcomes of trauma.

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“…69 Studies concerning the extent of effective defensive mechanisms (as one form of coping with stress) in stressful life situations show that ineffective defense strategies are related to higher cortisol secretion. 71 Subjects identified as persons with a "type A" behavior pattern show enhanced cortisol and catecholamine secretion and higher blood pressure responses during mental stress in comparison to type B subjects. 72,73 Neuroticism and type A behavior pattern are also predictive of exaggerated cardiovascular responses under stressful working conditions.…”

Section: Intervening Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological and Emotional Response to Psychological Stressors in Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Disorders

Ehlert

Straub

1998

Annals NY Acad Sci

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Deviations from emotional and physiological homeostasis in humans occur under episodic, chronic, or traumatic stress experiences. These dysregulations can provoke emotional and physical disturbances that may result in stress-related psychiatric or psychosomatic disorders. This brief review discusses a variety of both naturally occurring and experimental stressors and the complexity of intervening variables on cardiovascular and hormonal dysregulations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In addition to the type, intensity, and duration of the stressor, subject variables such as dispositional factors (e.g., age and sex), personality traits, and coping styles are considered. Finally, emotional and physiological stress responses to naturally occurring stressors and psychological challenge tests in depressed patients and anxiety disorder patients are presented and discussed. Stressors in humans induce emotional arousal, which leads to physiological activation of the central nervous system, an increase of hormones of the HPA axis, and coping reactions on the psychological and behavioral level. Depending on the type, intensity, and duration of the stressor, on personal and psychosocial resources of the individual, stressful situations may provoke emotional and physical disturbances. These dysfunctions may result in psychosomatic or psychiatric disorders. The following brief review intends to discuss a variety of stressors that have been examined in humans in order to gain insight into the complex relationship between physiological and behavioral stress reactions and the occurrence or maintenance of stress related psychosomatic and psychiatric disorders.

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Effectiveness of defenses: A significant predictor of cortisol excretion under stress

Cited by 28 publications

References 20 publications

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Psychological Stress and Neuroendocrine Function in Humans: The Last Two Decades of Research

Coping and health: A comparison of the stress and trauma literatures.

Physiological and Emotional Response to Psychological Stressors in Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Disorders

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